Rockford library showing some love on late fees with amnesty

ROCKFORD — The Rockford Public Library is hoping to wipe the slate clean for thousands of patrons. Sixty-two percent of the library’s 57,554 cardholders owe the library for overdue returns or lost items.

ROCKFORD — The Rockford Public Library is hoping to wipe the slate clean for thousands of patrons.

Sixty-two percent of the library’s 57,554 cardholders owe the library for overdue returns or lost items.

When late fees total $5, cards are blocked; patrons are not allowed to check out new items until fees are paid.

That’s how it typically works.

However, the Rockford Public Library is offering late-fee amnesty in September in hopes of welcoming patrons back to the library.

“We would like to get as many people as possible using our library,” Executive Director Frank Novak said. “We felt as though many people were unable to use our materials, facilities, and services due to old fines, fees and overdue materials.

“To eliminate that barrier to access, it was time for the library to wipe the slate clean and give everybody a fresh start. ... Having a fresh start may be just what some people need to again be active library users.”

Most major library systems offer late-fee amnesty days, but they are few and far between. The Chicago Public Library offered its first amnesty days in 20 years in 2012.

Rockford’s last fine forgiveness period occurred in 2005. The total amount of fines eligible for amnesty this time around is $474,489.01.

The rules are simple:

If you have overdue materials, bring them in. You won’t be charged late fees.

If you have outstanding late fees on your account, come in and ask that your fines be waived.

The only things that can’t be waived are replacement costs.

Denise Johnson of Rockford said she supports amnesty days.

“There probably are people who want to come back but can’t because of their fines,” she said. “They probably feel like they can’t come because they’ve been rejected.”

The library has 35,697 cardholders who owe fines. Of those, 12,838 owe less than $5 each.

The money received as late fees goes back into the library’s general fund, but it’s an unreliable revenue stream, officials said. Some of the money goes to a collection agency the library uses to go after larger fines.

The library is hosting a library card drive this month as well.

Anyone who signs up for a card this month will be entered into a contest to win one of five Kindle e-book readers.

To request amnesty by email, a patron must submit his or her name, library card number and date of birth. The account will be reviewed, and the library will respond to the cardholder via email on whether the fines were forgiven.